Thread-controlled stop-motion for circular-knitting machines.



.QLQW 4 N. H. WILLIAMS.

THREAD CONTROLLED STOP MOTION FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MAGHINES.

I APPLIOATION FILED JULY 3, 1908.

909,727. Patented Jan. 12,1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

\A/ITNEEEEE TIE: NVKNTQ N. H. WILLIAMS. THREAD CONTROLLED STOP MOTIONFOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED JULY 3, I908.

' 909,727. Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNEEIEEE NORMAN H. WILLIAMS, OF PERRY, NEW YORK.

THREAD-CONTROLLEDSTOP-MOTION FOR CIRCULAR-KNITTING MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

Application filed July 3, 1908. Serial No. 441,751.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NORMAN H. WILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Perry, county of Wyoming, and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Thread-ControlledStop-Motions for Circular-Knitting Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

The invention relates to such improvements and consists of the novelconstruction and combination of parts hereinafter de scribed andsubsequently claimed.

Reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, and the referencecharacters marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. 7

Similar characters refer to similar parts in the several figurestherein.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a view in perspective of a portion of acircular knitting machineshowing my improved stop-motion mechanismattached thereto. Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of one of thethreadsupported latch-operating fingers, and the support for the same.Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 4 is a View in sideelevation of the other thread-supported latch-operating finger, and thesupport for the same. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 6 is aview in front elevation of the trip for inducing the release of thebeltshifting mechanism, the latch for support ing the trip, and theplate upon which both are mounted, adapted to be attached to the needlecylinder. Fig. 7 is an end view of the same. Fig. 8 is a top plan viewof the arm adapted to be fixed upon the spindle of the main stop-motiondevice, whereby the same is adapted to be operated by the trip of myattachment when released. Fig. 9 is a side view of the same.

The principal object of my invention is to insure the stopping of acircular knitting machine upon the breaking of one of the feed threads.And more specifically the object is to induce, upon the breaking of oneof the feed threads, operation of an automatically-operatingbelt-shifting mechanism, indirectly through the mechanism whereby suchrelease is accomplished by 'means of a detector-finger engaging theknitted web.

Referring to the drawings wherein the in- V vent-ion is shown inpreferred form, 1 represents the cylinder of an ordinary springneedleknitting machine, the needles of which are diagrammatically representedby the lines 2.

The Web of fabric is shown at 3, and the cloth-wheel at 4, thecloth-wheel being mounted upon a stand, 5, supported from or upon thebed, or ring, 6, by the link 7.

Mounted upon the stand 5 in the usual manner is the sinker-bur, 8, to,which the thread, or yarn, 9, is supplied from the stationarythread-guide, 1

In advance of the stationary thread-guide is a movable thread-guidingfinger, 11, pivoted at 12, upon the supporting bracket 13, fixed uponthe stand 5, and having in its inner end a thread-receiving eye, 14, thethread passing to the eye 14 from the fixed eye 15, located somewhatabove the pivot of said finger. So long as the thread remains undertension, the inner end of the finger 11 will be supported thereby in araised position, as shown by solid lines in Fig. 1. When, however, thetension on the thread is relieved, as by the breaking of the thread,said finger 11 will at once drop to the position indicated by dottedlines in said figure.

In advance of the stand 5 is another stand, 17, mounted upon the ring,or bed, 6, by means of the link 18, upon which stand is supported in theusual manner a bur-wheel, 19, which may be any known kind of threadfeeding wheel; as for example, what is known as a backing-wheel forsupplying to the needles a backing yarn, or thread, in the manufactureof plush knitted fabrics.

The thread, or yarn, is supplied to the wheel 19 directly from thestationary threadguide 20.

In advance of the stationary thread-guide, 21, is a movablethread-guiding finger, 22, pivoted at 23, upon the su porting bracket24, fixed upon the stand 1 7 and having in its inner end athread-receiving eye, 25, the thread passing to said eye from the fixedeye 47, which is so located that so long as the thread 20 remains undertension, the inner end of the finger 22 will be supported thereby in araised position, as shown by solid lines in Fig. 1. When, however, thetension on said thread 20 is relieved, as by the breaking of the thread,said finger 22 will at once drop to the position indicated by dottedlines in said figure.

Mounted upon the periphery of the cylinder 1, by means of a supportingplate, or bracket, 26, is a trip, 27, pivotally mounted at 28, upon thebracket 26,'and adaptedto be supported in a horizontal position by thelatch 29, pivoted at 30, upon said bracket 26, as shown in 1. Said tripand latch are adapted to be carried by the rotating cylinder past theseveral bur-wheels and threadguides above referred to; and the latch 29,when supportin the trip 27 in horizontal position, is so located thatits upper end passes just below the plane of the movable thread-guides11 and 22 when said threadguides are in their raised position, as whensupported by the respective threads under tension. But when either ofsaid threadguides 11 and 22 is permitted to drop to the osition idicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, it'will thereby be brought into thepath of the upper end of said latch so that said latch cannot pass thedropped thread-guide without engaging the same and being moved from theposition shown by dotted lines in Figs. 1 and '6 to that indicated bydotted lines in said figures, in which dotted position of the latch thetrip 27 is released and permitted to drop to a vertical osition, asindicated by dotted lines in figures.

Any known mechanism may be rovided w ereby the t p 27, when droppe tover tical position, can accomplish or induce operation of suitablebelt-shifting mechanism whereby the machine can be stoppedl vAs apreferred means for accomplishing this result, I have shown the machineprovided with a well known form of stop motion mechanism adapted to beoperated by a detector finger which engages the body of the knitted web,and have provided means whereby this same stop-motion mechanism can beactuated by the trip 27, when the latter is in a vertical position.

The stop-motion mechanism referred to, comprises a vertical spindle, 32,rotatively mounted in the frame 33, which is supported upon the bed, orring, 6, by the link'34.

F ixed upon the upper end of the spindle 32 is a detector arm, 35,having at its inner end a yielding detector finger, 36, adapted normallyto rest upon the body of the web 3, and upon encountering any materialdefeet in said web, such as a prominent protuberance thereupon, or anaperture therein, to be carried along a short distance with said web,thereby rocking the spindle'32.

Fixed upon the lower end of the spindle 32 is a keeper, 37, for thelever 38, pivoted at 39, upon a stud, 40, projecting from the base ofthe frame 33, the lower end of said lever 38, so long as said lever isunder the control of the keeper 37, being supported in the path of thepost 41, mounted upon the movable arm 42, which forms part of thebelt-shifting mechanism, and which is adapted, when released, to beautomatically actuated by the times a coil-spring 43, in a direction toaccomplish the shifting of the belt from the fixed to the idle pulley ofthe machine.

The belt-shifting mechanism and belt pulleys are omitted from thedrawing, as their form is immaterial for the purposes of the presentinvention.

The rocking of thespindle 32, induced by the engagement of the detectorfinger 36, by a defective portion of the knitted web, serves to swingthe keeper 37 out of the path of the lever 38, and thereby to releasefrom the control of said lever 38 the movable member, 42, of thebelt-shifting mechanism. To ada t this stop-motion device to be operatedbytiie trip 27 of my improved attachment, upon the spindle 32 an arm,4%, which nor mally projects into the path traversed by the trip 27,when in a vertical position. I am thus able, upon the breaking of any ofthe feed threads, to automatica induce operation of the belt-shiftingmechanism through the stop-motion mechanism commonly employed upon thesemachines.

In the operation of the machine, should a thread break, the movableguide-finger for said thread will at once drop into the path of thelatch 29 and operate said latch to release the trip 27 which is carriedby the movement of the cylinder into engagement with the arm 44, servingto rock the spindle 32 in substantially the same manner as the samewould be rocked by the engagement of the detector finger 36 with adefect in the Web.

The bracket 26 is provided with an off-set, 45, adapted to limit themovement of the trip 27.

It will, of course, be understood that my invention is intended forousein a machine provided with the usual mechanisms for completing theformation of the loops or stitches, but I have shown in the drawin s,for convenience in illustration, only such evices as are directlyassociated with my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In amachine of the class described, and in combination, a movable member ofabeltshifting mechanism; the needle cylinder; a trip carried by saidneedle cylinder; a latch adapted to support said trip at certain movablethread-guiding finger adapted to be supportedby the thread out of thepath of said latch, and, when released from the thread, to extendinto'the path of said latch; a movable member located in the ath of saidtrip when released from the latch, and means whereby movement of saidmovable member induces the operation of the movable member of saidbelt-shifting mechanism.

2. In a machine of the class describexLand in combination, a movablemember of a belttrip carried by said needle cylinder; a latch adapted tosupport said trip at certain times; a plurality of movablethread-guiding fingers, each adapted to be supported by the thread outof the path of said latch, and, when released from the thread, to extendinto the path of said latch; a movable member located in the path ofsaid trip when released from the latch, and means whereby movement ofsaid movable member induces the operation of the movable member of saidbelt-shifting mechanism.

3. In a machine of the class described, and in combination, the needlecylinder; a spindle; a detector fixed upon said spindle and adapted toengage the knitted web; a movable member of a belt-shifting mechanism;means whereby a rocking movement of said finger adapted to be supportedby the thread p out of the path of said latch, and when released fromthe thread, to extend into the path of said latch; and a rocker armfixed upon said spindle and projecting into the path of said trip whenreleased from said latch.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 3rd day of June1908.

NORMAN H. WILLIAMS. Witnesses:

ARTHUR C. S'roWELL, JAMES LANDER.

